Lychnis plant named &#39;iflyph&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lychnis  plant named ‘IFLYPH’, characterized by its relatively compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely basal clumping growth habit; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; and white-colored double-type flowers arranged in dense inflorescences.

Botanical designation: Lychnis flos-cuculi.

Cultivar denomination: ‘IFLYPH’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lychnisplant, botanically known as Lychnis flos-cuculi, typically grown as acontainer Lychnis plant and hereinafter referred to by the name‘IFLYPH’.

The new Lychnis plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofLychnis flos-cuculi ‘Lychjenpet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.27,495. The new Lychnis plant was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single plant from within a population of plants of‘Lychjenpet’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Sonsbeek, Germanyin June, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lychnis plant by in vitro meristemculture since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this newLychnis plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘IFLYPH’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘IFLYPH’ as a new and distinct Lychnis plant:

-   -   1. Relatively compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant        habit.    -   2. Freely basal clumping growth habit.    -   3. Moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. White-colored double-type flowers arranged in dense        inflorescences.

Plants of the new Lychnis differ primarily from plants of the mutationparent, ‘Lychjenpet’, in flower color as plants of ‘Lychjenpet’ havebright pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lychnis can be compared to plants of unnamedselections of Lychnis flos-cuculi known to the Inventor, not patented.In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Sonsbeek, Germany, plants ofthe new Lychnis differ from plants of unnamed selections of Lychnisflos-cuculi known to the Inventor in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lychnis are shorter, more compact and        denser than plants of unnamed selections of Lychnis flos-cuculi.    -   2. Plants of the new Lychnis are more freely flowering than        plants of unnamed selections of Lychnis flos-cuculi.    -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Lychnis are white in color        whereas flowers of plants of unnamed selections of Lychnis        flos-cuculi are pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Lychnis plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Lychnis plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of typicalplants of ‘IFLYPH’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical flowering stems of ‘IFLYPH’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical leaves of ‘IFLYPH’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the early summer in 19-cmcontainers in an outdoor nursery in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands andunder cultural practices typical of commercial Lychnis production.During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C.to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 15° C. Plants were15 weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lychnis flos-cuculi ‘IFLYPH’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Lychnis    flos-cuculi ‘Lychjenpet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,495.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About ten days            at temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 156D in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; basally            clumping plant habit with leaves developing from the base;            roughly broadly obovate in overall shape; relatively            compact, upright and uniformly mounded plant habit;            moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 51            cm.        -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 78            cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 75.5 cm.-   Branch description:    -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 15            primary branches per plant each primary branch with about            eight secondary lateral branches.        -   Length.—About 27.3 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 12.9 cm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Aspect.—Upright to about 70° from vertical.        -   Texture and luster.—Sparsely to moderately pubescent;            slightly rough; slightly glossy.        -   Color.—Close to 143C; at the internodes, close to 143A;            color becoming closer to 146D tinged with close to 183D with            development.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in basal clumps; leaves simple,            opposite and sessile.        -   Length.—About 5 cm to 17.5 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.4 cm to 2.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Narrowly oblanceolate to lanceolate; slightly            carinate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Decurrent.        -   Margin.—Entire; slightly and coarsely undulate.        -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,            glabrous; matte.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            144B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to between            NN137A and 147A; venation, close to 143C. Fully expanded            leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to            144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Double-type flowers with            reproductive organs transformed into petal-like (hereafter            described as “petaloids”) structures; flowers arranged in            compound dichasial cymes on relatively short flowering            stems; flowering stems arising from basal clumps, flowering            stems mostly erect to somewhat outwardly spreading; flowers            face mostly upright to outwardly; each cyme with about            eleven flowers and about 1,250 flowers developing per plant            over the flowering season; flowers face mostly upright to            slightly outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Time of flowering.—In Northern Europe, plants flower            continuously from spring into the autumn; flowering begins            about 15 weeks after planting rooted young plants.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten days on            the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 9.3 cm.        -   Inflorescence width.—About 8.9 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 2.7 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.7 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Elliptic to oblong. Texture and luster: Smooth,            glabrous; matte. Color: Close to 145C slightly tinged with            181D; axillary stripes, close to 146C.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five arranged in a            single whorl. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About 6 cm.            Shape: Spatulate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Narrowly            attenuate. Margin: Entire; moderately undulate. Texture and            luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            moderately velvety; matte. Color: When opening, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to NN155D. Fully opened, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to NN155D; color does not change with            development.        -   Petaloids (transformed reproductive structures).—Quantity            and arrangement: About 50 arranged in about five whorls.            Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 5 cm. Shape: Spatulate.            Apex: Emarginate. Base: Narrowly attenuate. Margin: Entire;            moderately undulate. Texture and luster, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately velvety; matte.            Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            NN155D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            NN155D; color does not change with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five sepals arranged            in a single whorl. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 7 mm.            Shape: Lower 75% fused in to a tube; upper 25% deltoid.            Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture            and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            matte. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close            to 145D; axillary stripes, close to 146B. Fully opened,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145D; axillary stripes,            close to 146B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 13.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Aspect: Erect to            about 30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Sparsely to            moderately pubescent; slightly rough; slightly glossy.            Color: Close to 143C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong; flexible. Aspect: Erect to            about 30° from vertical. Texture and luster: Sparsely to            moderately pubescent; slightly rough; slightly glossy.            Color: Close to 143A.        -   Reproductive organs.—None observed, all transformed into            petal-like structures.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed on plants of the new Lychnis; flowers are sterile.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, resistance to pathogens and    pests common to Lychnis plants has not been observed on plants of    the new Lychnis grown under commercial production conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lychnis have been observed to    tolerate rain, wind and temperatures ranging from −23° C. to 40° C.;    plants of the new Lychnis and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness    Zones 5 to 9.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lychnis plant named ‘IFLYPH’ asillustrated and described.